


Birthday Confessions

by nhasablog



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Confessions, Drinking, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 17:27:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17533079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nhasablog/pseuds/nhasablog
Summary: Jim and Bones get drunk and Jim makes a couple of confessions.





	Birthday Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> I'm gonna delete my tumblr, so I'm posting a bunch of fics people have requested that never ended up here. I hope you like this! Feel free to unsubscribe to escape the email notifs lmao (but come back in, like, a week because ily)

Jim was… well, very far from sober, to say the least. Bones noted this with a hint of an old amusement, remembering old times when the kid would drink slightly too much as soon as finals week was over.

Things were different now. While they both had quite large collections of pristine bottles with various golden liquids hidden away, they didn’t get to consume anything in the same way they used to. Now it was all about drinking responsibly just in case of emergencies, and it was safe to say it had taken them a while to get used to it.

But it was Jim’s birthday, and he’d had his fair share of booze since the crew promised him a night off. They’d still throw him a party of course, but that would have to wait a couple of days. They were slightly too close to the atmosphere of a planet for everyone to properly be able to relax.

Bones had practically forced Jim to relax, telling him the others would deal with whatever sudden complication that could appear. Of course they all promised Bones an evening off too. Perks of being the captain’s best friend, he reckoned.

He smirked into his glass as Jim kept babbling on about whatever. Bones knew he’d overworked himself recently and hadn’t had time to have proper mindless conversations with anyone in weeks. He needed this. They both did.

“So I told Scotty,” he said, nearly spilling the contents of his own glass when he waved his arm around for emphasis. “This is ridiculous. You know? Because it was, but he got pissed at me, and for a sec I thought he was gonna kill me.”

Bones snorted. “I’m sure he would’ve if you hadn’t been his literal boss.”

“That’s what I think too. Like, it was so visible when he stopped himself from snapping. And you know Scotty, he doesn’t have any qualms about snapping, but I think I hit a nerve that would mean my death if he let it all out.”

Bones raised his glass. “To your continued life.”

Jim laughed, loud and carefree, and mimicked him. “To one more life. I mean year. Wow.” He set his glass down and rubbed his temples. “I might have had too much to drink.”

“S’okay. You deserve it.”

“Still. Could you get me some water?”

Bones only did without protest because it was his birthday. And because Jim clearly needed it.

Setting the glass onto the table before his friend, Bones sat back and watched him chug it in one go, gasping loudly when he was done. “That was good. Thank you.”

“It’s no problem.”

“Do you want to know a secret?”

Bones raised an eyebrow. “Would you tell me if you were sober?”

“Maybe. Eventually.”

“Uh, I’m not sure. Don’t want you to wake up tomorrow and regret it.”

“I won’t. I’ve been meaning to tell you for ages. Kinda need the push anyway.”

Bones still hesitated. This was morally wrong, wasn’t it?

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“If you’re sure.”

“It’s two secrets actually.”

“Are they related?”

“Not really? Well, it’s two things I like, so maybe.”

Bones leaned back, glass sitting between his hands that were resting on the table, fingertips touching it. “Go ahead.”

Jim exhaled loudly, slowly. “I’m nervous.”

“Take your time.” Bones almost told him he didn’t need to say a thing at all, but now he was too curious. He wasn’t entirely sober himself.

“I like being tickled,” Jim blurted out, face reddening alarmingly quickly, especially for someone this drunk. He covered his face with one hand, the other tangling with his hair. His reaction was quite honestly a whole one man show happening right before Bones who barely had time to blink in surprise.

“I-” he started, but Jim cut him off.

“Please don’t judge me.”

“I know.”

“Please- what?”

“I already knew you liked being tickled.”

Now it was Jim’s turn to blink in confusion. “You- wait what? How?”

Bones snorted. “I’ve been your friend for ages and spent at least half that time tickling you to pieces. I wouldn’t be doing that if I hadn’t noticed that you didn’t mind it.”

“Oh.” He grabbed his glass and promptly realized it was empty, so he set put it down again. “Well, now I feel stupid.”

“Don’t. I think it’s good that you finally got around to telling me. It shows we’re on the same page here.” He reached over the table to prod at Jim’s ribs, which probably wouldn’t have much effect if the kid wasn’t sort of out of it already.

He giggled, batting the hand away on impulse. “How come I didn’t realize you knew?”

“Well, you’re not the most observant individual on this ship.”

“Rude.”

“Just tellin’ the truth.”

Bones poked him again, getting him just on that spot on his upper ribs, but seeing as they had a whole bottle sitting between them now wasn’t the time for tickle fights. He poured them both another glass and said, “So what’s the other secret?”

“Not sure I need to say it, since you seem to know everything already.”

Bones pointed at him. “Can’t know I know if you don’t let me know.”

“I’m not in any place to understand what the hell you just said.”

Bones laughed. “Just tell me. Go ahead, I won’t judge. Clearly.”

“What makes you think it’s judge-worthy?”

“Just spit it out.”

Jim crossed his arms, looking almost defensive, as if this was more serious. Bones sat up straighter in his chair, waiting.

“I, uh-” He breathed out a laugh, all nerves. Almost sober, in that moment. “I like someone.”

“Elaborate.”

“As in, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with someone.”

“Oh?”

“It’s Spock.”

“Ah.”

“You knew.”

“Well, yes.”

“I give up.” Jim threw his hands up, almost knocking his full glass over. “I’m never telling you anything from now on and will just assume you know.”

Bones was laughing. He couldn’t help it. “Have you  _ seen  _ the way you and Spock interact? It’s quite obvious something is there.”

“Wait, I never said it was mutual.”

“Trust me, kid. It’s mutual.”

Jim beamed. It was too pure to even watch, so Bones distracted himself by taking a swig of his drink while Jim arranged their marriage in his head.

“This is the best birthday gift you could’ve given me,” he said finally, and Bones’ heart swelled.

“I better return the shirt then,” he said, clearing his throat. “But enough of this. I need you to laugh before your birthday is over.”

In one swift motion Bones managed to leap off his seat, grab Jim, and bring them to the safety of the couch, his fingers finding his most sensitive spots. Jim was laughing hysterically within seconds.


End file.
